Rack, Shack and Benny
Rack, Shack & Benny, released on August 25, 1995 on VHS and in July 21, 1998 on VHS, is the first episode of the VeggieTales animated series and the first to present one story instead of two shorter ones. Subtitled "A Lesson in Handling Peer Pressure," it teaches viewers about avoiding unhealthy peer pressure and standing up to their beliefs. The video is a retelling of the biblical story of Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego, from the Book of Daniel. In the story, King Nebuchadnezzar II requires that all his subjects bow down before a false idol. But three men, Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego, refuse and are thrown into a furnace. The remain unharmed, and Nebuchadnezzar recognizes the power of their God. Rack, Shack & Benny adheres to the original story (including the very child unfriendly fate of being thrown into the furnace), but places it in a chocolate factory at which all employees are required to bow down before a giant chocolate bunny and sing "The Bunny Song." Plot The show starts with Bob the Tomato alone. Larry the Cucumber appears on the countertop, wearing an oven mitten on his head. When asked why, he says that it is because he saw it on the cover of "Veggie Beat" magazine and that everyone is doing it. Unable to see, however, he crashes into the sink. Bob reads a letter from Dexter Wilmington from Tuscaloosa, Alabama about peer pressure, and then the story begins. The story is told by Grandpa George, who made his debut on this episode. We are introduced into the world of The Nezzer Chocolate Factory, where the employees work hard all day, making chocolate bunnies on an assembly line. In celebration of selling their two-millionth chocolate bunny, Mr. Nezzer announces that for 30 minutes, all of the employees may eat as many bunnies as they want. While all tear ravenously into the chocolate, Shack convinces his friends, Rack and Benny, that they should not gorge themselves on candy, as their mothers and fathers had taught them. When Mr. Nezzer comes out to soak up the appreciation of his employees, he finds them all lying ill… except for three. Rack, Shack & Benny are rewarded and are made junior executives (they originally worked in the plant). The following day, Mr. Nezzer calls them into his office and tells them that he has constructed a 90 feet bunny; he believes that if the bunny were a big bunny, then all of the employees would love it as much as he does. To make matters worse, he also reveals the dreaded The Bunny Song, whose lyrics state that nothing in the world is more important than the bunny. He intends to force all of his employees to bow down before the bunny statue and sing the song; those, who refuse will be thrown into the factory's furnace like the "bad bunnies". Naturally, this causes Rack, Shack & Benny great concer, since they don't agree with the words in the song. And when the time comes, they refuse to bow and sing. Mr. Nezzer condemns them to the furnace, but gives them one last chance to sing the song; still, they refuse, explaining that they were taught to stand by what they believe is right. Mr. Nezzer sends them down a chute into the furnace, but Laura Carrot rescues them with a delivery truck. Her rescue attempts are thwarted though, and in spite of her efforts, they are dropped into the furnace anyway. But they do not burn. A fourth person appears in the furnace ("He's really shiny," says Mr. Nezzer's Assistant) and they are spared. Rack, Shack & Benny emerge from the furnace, unscathed. Mr. Nezzer reconciles with himself. The story ends with a song about standing up for what you believe in. Back on the countertop, Bob and Larry wrap up, but Larry is still stuck in the sink. He recognizes now that the futility that landed him there, that just because everyone else is wearing an oven mitten on their heads doesn't mean that he has to. He laments his wasted life, and Bob offers to help, but ends up stuck in the sink, himself, The verse is 2nd Thessalonians 2:15 the theme is to do whats right Cast of Characters *Phil Vischer - Bob the Tomato As Rack Shadrach, Grandpa George Scallion Blink, Mr. Nezzer As Himself, Mr. Lunt As Himself *Mike Nawrocki - Larry the Cucumber As Benny Abednego *Lisa Vischer - Junior Asparagus As Shack Meshach *Gail Freeman - Mom Asparagus *Dan Anderson - Dad Asparagus *Kristin Blegen - Laura Carrot As Delivery Girl Category:VeggieTales episodes Category:1995